Bottle closures

ABSTRACT

A rubber-type hot water bottle, having its neck closed by a moulded plug formed with a stopper orifice, has a moulded shell of plastics material pushed into the stopper orifice to provide the thread for the stopper. The moulded shell and the stopper orifice are preferably acircular to prevent relative rotation and may be held together by an ear-and-socket configuration.

Unite States Patent 11 1 1111 3,848,650 Wilson-Haffenden 1 Nov. 19, 1974 BOTTLE CLOSURES 1,464,692 8/1923 Bronson 150/8 X 1,675,395 7/1928 [75] Inventor: Ph1l|pWrls0n-Haffenden, Walmer, 1,994,127 3/1935 land 3,424,481 1/1969 Fulghum 285/203 x [73] Assignee: Haffenden-Richlggrough Limited,

Sandwich, Kent, England [22] Filed: Apr. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 248,383

[52] US. Cl. 150/8 [51] Int. Cl B65d 33/16 [58] Field of Search 150/8, 2.1; 215/49, '50; 285/201, 202, 203

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,334,378 3/1920 Kaufmann 150/8 Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wigman & Cohen [5 7] ABSTRACT A rubber-type hot water bottle, having its neck closed by a moulded plug formed with a stopper orifice, has a moulded shell of plastics material pushed into the stopper orifice to provide the thread for the stopper. The moulded shell and the stopper orifice are preferably acircular to prevent relative rotation and may be held together by an ear-and-socket configuration.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTB, 550v 1 91974 sum 20F 2 3,848,550

FIG].

BOTTLE CLOSURES This invention relates to bottles made of rubbery material and especially to hot water bottles, of the kind in which the neck of the bottle is closed by a moulded plug of rubbery material having a filling/emptying orifice provided with a screw thread for engagement of a stopper.

In the past this moulded plug, which may be bonded into the bottle neck or secured by clamping with an external metal strap or in any other convenient fashion, or moulded integrally with the bottle walls, has generally been furnished with a metal (usually brass) shell defining the inner face of the screw thread intended to receive the screw stopper. The reason for this is, of course, that the rubber material of the plug has neither the desired hardness nor the desired functional properties for satisfactory co-operation with a screw stopper. However, the incorporation of this metal shell or ferrule is attended by considerable expense and inconvenience, both as regards the cost of the shell itself and the need to locate it inside the mould for the plug in advance of each plug moulding operation. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved alternative to this type of construction, dispensing with the need for the pre-positioned moulded-in metal shell.

The invention consistsin a bottle of the kind referred to, in which the plug in the bottle neck has, engaged in the stopper orifice, a shell of plastics material threaded for the stopper and inserted after the plug with itsgenerally cylindrical stopper orifice has been moulded. Preferably the stopper orifice in the plug is moulded with a shoulderagainst whichithe outerendof the plastics shell will abut when the shell has been pushed home, this shoulder fulfilling afunction corresponding to that of the rubber washer lnormally carried by the screw stopper thus rendering .this washer unnecessary.

The shell may be 'frictionally or adhesively engaged in the stopper orifice, and/or maybe resiliently locked in position.

In one embodiment of the invention, the exterior'face of the moulded shell isformed with serrations or otherwise formed to provide apositive grip against the stopper orifice of the plug to prevent relative rotation in normal use as a screw stopper is engaged therewith. Preferably, the face of the stopper orifice in the plug is correspondingly formed that is to say where the plastics shell has axially extending serrations on its outer face the plug or rubbery material is moulded with matching serrations along the face of the stopper orifice.

In another embodiment the plastics shell is moulded to have or include an oval .or other non-cylindrical shape, the plug being moulded with a correspondingly shaped recess from the rear to receive the shell.

To prevent the plastics shell insert from being pushed into the bottle by careless insertion of the stopper, it may be moulded -on its exterior face with a formation at or adjacent its outerend (that is to say its end which is outermost relative to the bottle) which will bite into the surrounding rubbermaterial of the plug to generate hearing against the stopper. The thread of the shell may have a square type section instead of the conventional rounded section to give a better grip.

Although the plastics shell is inserted from the inner face of the plug it does not always have to be inserted before the plug is inserted into the bottle neck. In some designs of bottle the body portion is closed after the rubber plug or its equivalent is secured in the bottle neck so the rear faceof the plug is accessible until the bottle is finally closed. With this type of design the shoulder and recess of the plug can .be moulded integrally with the body of the bottle in the same operation.

The invention will be described further with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. l'is a sectional view of a plasticsinsert according to the invention,

FIG. 2 isa sectional view of a rubber plug into which the insert :isto be fitted from :below,

FIG. 3 :is a sectional view of a second embodiment showing the plastics shell inserted into a rubber plug,

FIG. 4.is a view from below corresponding to FIG. 3, and

:FIG. Sis a view fromabove corresponding to FIG. 3.

=FIG. 6.isan elevation view of a hot-water bottle constructed in accordance with this invention, a portionof the bottle being cutaway 10 show the molded-plughav- :ing the plastic shell .of FIG. .3 inserted therein, and

FIG. 7;is an elevation view of .a hot-water bottle constructedin accordancewith this invention, a portion of the bottle being cutaway to show'the integrally formed neck portion having the'plastic shell of FIG. 3 inserted therein.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the insert, which will be circular in plan view, ismoulded in ahard plastics material and comprises an internal'screw thread I and external, axially extending serrations 2. The insert is generally cylindrical, except that adjacent the top the external surface flares outwardly at 3 and then tapers abruptly at 4 to provide a ridge 5. The corresponding rubber plug illustrated in FIG. 2, which will generally be oval in plan view, to fit into the neck of the hot water bottle, comprises a central orifice "6 into which the insert of FIG. 1 can be pushed, terminating at a shoulder 7 which will overlie'the insert. The internal face of the orifice 6 is serrated as at '8, to fit the serrations 2. The ridge 5 will bite into the internal face of the plug at a location immediately below the shoulder 7. The latter provides the equivalent of a washer over the plastics insert, onto which ascre-w plug (not shown) screwing into the insert of FIG. 1 can bear.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 5,theplastics shell comprises an outer part 10 of truncated oval form except at its outer face where the complete oval form is maintained by the incorporation of tabs or flanges 1 1 as can be seen best in FIG. 4. The plastic shell further comprises a generally cylindrical inner part 12 formed integrally with part 10 and bearing a screw thread formation 13 for the receipt of a screw stopper, not shown. The plastic shell thus has a laterally elongated acircular form with radial protrusions 11 and the rubber plug 14 is shaped correspondingly to receive the shell snuggly, the shell thus being constrained against relative rotation. Moulded in the inner face of the plug 14 are two slots or sockets 15 serving to receive the tabs or flanges 11 and thus hold the plastics shell resiliently against being pushed inwardly upon insertion of a screw stopper. The plug 14 further comprises a shoulder 16 which overlies the outer face of the plastics shell and thus in effect serves as a rubber washer the outer face of the cylindrical part 12 being formed with an annular raised part 17 generating localised high pressure to seal the plug/plastics shell inner face when a screw stopper is engaged.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a hot-water bottle B having the rubber plug 14 inserted in the neck portion thereof. In FIG. 7 there is illustrated a hotwater bottle B having an integrally formed neck portion 14' which is the equivalent of the rubber plug 14 of FIG. 6.

I claim:

l. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, waterretaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, a plastic shell axially slidably insertable in said plug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper, and wherein said plug includes an integrally molded shoulder partially closing said orifice at the outer end thereof against which said plastic shell is adapted to abut when fully inserted into said plug and which provides a washer for said stopper.

2. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 1, including means for preventing rotation of said shell relative to said plug when said stopper is engaged therewith.

3. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 2, wherein said means include complimentary-shaped surfaces on said shell and said orifice.

4. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 2, wherein said means include at least one generally radial protrusion formed integrally with said shell for engagement with a corresponding recess formed in said plug.

5. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, waterretaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, a plastic shell axially slidably insertable in said plug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper, means for preventing rotation of said shell relative to said plug when said stopper is engaged therewith including at least one generally radial protrusion formed integrally with said shell engageable with a corresponding recess formed in said plug, and wherein said plastic shell is of elongated, acircular form, and said at least one protrusion is at an end of the outer face of said shell.

6. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, waterretaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, and a laterally elongated plastic shell of a circular form axially insertable and slidable in saidplug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper.

7. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, waterretaining material and including an integrally formed neck portion having an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, and a plastic shell adapted to be axially slidably inserted into said orifice from the inner end thereof after said neck portion has been formed integrally with said bottle and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper.

UNITED STATES PATENT owner errmmrs 0F Patent No. 3,848,650 Dated November 19, 1974 nivenmus) Ph'ilib WILSON-HAFFENDEN It is certified that error appears in "the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected; as shown below:

Column 2, lihe 49, i nwardlyshould be inserted after "abruptly";

Column 4, line 26, "a circular" should read acircular-;

Column 4, line 27, "saidplug" should read s aid plug-.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of February 1975.

(SEAL) Attest C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Arresting Officer I and Trademarks =0RM P0-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I969 0-865-336. 

1. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, water-retaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, a plastic shell axially slidably insertable in said plug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper, and wherein said plug includes an integrally molded shoulder partially closing said orifice at the outer end thereof against which said plastic shell is adapted to abut when fully inserted into said plug and which provides a washer for said stopper.
 2. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 1, including means for preventing rotation of said shell relative to said plug when said stopper is engaged therewith.
 3. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 2, wherein said means include complimentary-shaped surfaces on said shell and said orifice.
 4. A hot-water bottle as defined in claim 2, wherein said means include at least one generally radial protrusion formed integrally with said shell for engagement with a corresponding recess formed in said plug.
 5. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, water-retaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, a plastic shell axially slidably insertable in said plug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper, means for preventing rotation of said shell relative to said plug when said stopper is engaged therewith including at least one generally radial protrusion formed integrally with said shell engageable with a corresponding recess formed in said plug, and wherein said plastic shell is of elongated, acircular form, and said at least one protrusion is at an end of the outer face of said shell.
 6. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, water-retaining material and having a neck portion closed by a molded plug, said plug including an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, and a laterally elongated plastic shell of acircular form axially insertable and slidable in saidplug and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper.
 7. A hot-water bottle formed of flexible, water-retaining material and including an integrally formed neck portion having an orifice adapted to receive a threaded stopper, and a plastic shell adapted to be axially slidably inserted into said orifice from the inner end thereof after said neck portion has been formed integrally with said bottle and having internal threads for engaging said threaded stopper. 